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B. C. Manion at 83 Degrees reports on some green businesses in Tampa. “Jennifer Dutkowsky, founder of Why Not Boutique at 3217A S. MacDill Ave., in south Tampa, says she opened her shop in November 2008, after sensing a need in the market. “‘Tampa – it’s headed toward green, but it’s not green,’ Dutkowsky says. “Items at her [...] Adam Fritz, a blogger at Tampa’s Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) points to this video about seedbombing. via Wikipedia - “Seed bombing, also known as “Seed Grenades” is a technique of introducing vegetation to arid soils or otherwise inhospitable terrains. A seed bomb is a compressed clod of soil containing live vegetation that may be thrown or [...] Here’s an interesting animated visualization of how much food it takes to feed Manhattan. via The Why Factory. Local photographer Tom Palmer took a ton of photos at the recent grand opening of the Curtis Hixon park and posted them on his Flickr account. Check them out, they are terrific.
Copyright Tom Palmer. All rights reserved. Here’s an artist’s rendering of the park created during the design process. This urban space has been a contentious [...] Brian Ries at CL’s Daily Loaf reports that a new restaurant is coming to Seminole Heights. Michelle and Greg Baker of the Trib’s Culinary Sherpas and owners of Cook & Company will soon sign the papers to buy a spot in Seminole Heights to open The Refinery. …the new spot will be called The Refinery [...] At COP15 last month MIT’s Sensable City Lab unveiled their Copenhagen Wheel. The wheel fits onto ordinary bicycles, but is far from an ordinary wheel. It acts as a lock and can be locked and unlocked with your cell phone; it has a small motor that can provide a boost on hills or in traffic; power [...] Mark your calendars! This Valentine’s Day the Business Guild of Seminole Heights will host a Sunday morning market at Hillsborough High School. Be sure to visit their site to learn more about how to be a vendor or how to be a volunteer. The following information is taken from their website. (Thanks, BZ!)
Sunday, February 14th, 2010 Eat local advocates might be interested in applying for a grant to help promote farmers’ markets. “The Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) was created through a recent amendment of the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976. The grants, authorized by the FMPP, are targeted to help improve and expand domestic farmers markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture [...] Confusing weather and climate is like mistaking a chord for a song, or a sentence for a novel. Because it’s cold outside today in no way disproves the greenhouse effect. But, what about climategate!? Scientists are not heroes, or benevolent benefactors, or above crass human desires. This is the whole point of the scientific method. Since [...] This from the City of Tampa – Christmas Tree Recycling Tampa, FL December 23, 2008 – The City of Tampa Department of Solid Waste & Environmental Program Managment will be offering free pick up and recycling of Christmas trees. Trees must be bare (no ornaments, lights or tree stands), and should be placed curbside for removal beginning [...] Time Magazine has an article on human manure, a topic I was writing about in 2008. “Now he eschews his porcelain potty for a big bucket with a toilet seat. He “flushes” by tossing in a scoop of sawdust, which not only neutralizes smells but also helps speed the breakdown of composting material. Like many back-to-basics [...] Hank Hyena at H+ estimates that tank-grown protein will be on our grocery shelves in 3-10 years. “In-Vitro Meat — aka tank steak, sci fi sausage, petri pork, beaker bacon, Frankenburger, vat-grown veal, laboratory lamb, synthetic shmeat, trans-ham, factory filet, test tube tuna, cultured chicken, or any other moniker that can seduce the shopper’s stomach [...] Hmmm, if there was only some way to cut through the BS, the politics, the hyperbole, the astroturf, and the inexpert opinion about climate change. Where can we turn to find out what real climate scientists really think about the human influence on climate change? I know! What if we did a survey asking people with [...] I have a great admiration for Stewart Brand, but I must admit his advocacy for nuclear power baffles me. I have enough respect that I’ll pick up his new book Whole Earth Discipline and see what he has to say. Here’s an interview with Brand at Seed magazine. “Brand has now issued a bold challenge to the [...] Hmmm, trash geeks get together and comb through landfills armed with lists of requests. “ZeroLandfill is an award winning beneficial reuse program held seasonally that supports the supply needs of local artists and arts educators while reducing pressure on local landfill capacity. Since 2006, the ZeroLandfill project team has assisted the architectural and interior design [...] The Tampa History Center will be hosting Back to the Future: A Comparison of Sustainable Design Practices Then and Now, this August 29. “On Saturday, August 29th at 10:30 a.m., the Tampa Bay History Center, together with the Tampa Bay Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, will host Back to the Future: A Comparison of [...] Tampa Street Market is asking for your vote in Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2009 in the Best Eco-Friendly Store category. The post also mentions some other eco-friendly stores, and asks for other stores to look out for. Speaking of foodie social networks, Brand Tampa keeps a Ning page for Tampa Bay Eats. “A Group of like minded individuals who support local family owned and operated restaurants and farmers. Say no to the chain and hello to real food again. Think Global and eat local.” Jill at Sticks of Fire notes that as of July 1, HOAs cannot disallow xeriscaping. “In an important show of support for Florida-Friendly gardeners everywhere, this new law states specifically that HOAs can no longer prohibit homeowners from applying Florida-Friendly landscaping! For instance, your HOA cannot fine you for a brown lawn when you’re just abiding [...] This Reuters piece reporting a London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine study misses the point. The LSH&TM concludes that there is no health benefit to eating organic foods. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard anyone make the argument that we should eat organic foods because they’re healthier, though I’m certainly not an expert, and don’t [...] The Transition Network is a DIY way to get your town or city off oil dependency. Here’s a .pdf of Who We Are and What We Do…. While I’m not a peak oil alarmist, I’m all about finding ways to help communities recreate themselves, and I think their Cheerful Disclaimer is profoundly sensible. Cheerful disclaimer! Just in [...] Why don’t we have a fleet of these carting people around Tampa? Bamboo Taxis Arrive in Philippines Town “The taxis, commissioned by Tabontabon mayor Rustico Balderian, are made out of 90% bamboo and run on coconut biodiesel.” “The ECO 1 taxi seats 20 people, runs on one gallon of biodiesel fuel for eight hours, and is covered in [...] Salon.com has a good article about urban farming. Amy Benfer, the article’s author, balances her enthusiam with a frank acknowledgment of some of the problems. (Thanks, BZ!) How does your city garden grow? “Not everyone’s experience with urban livestock goes off quite so well: Jennifer in Boise, Idaho, was thrilled when she found out she could keep [...] Katie M. at Creative Loafing points to these videos about the Pacific Garbage Patch. Last October I pointed to a great documentary about Garbage Island. If you haven’t seen it I strongly recommend checking it out. Senator Bill Nelson has taken the lead on abolishing poisonous Chinese drywall in the US. The next step is to help Florida become a producer of EcoRock (as seen in the video below). Nelson’s leadership on drywall issues, and Florida’s aching construction industry, combine for a rare opportunity to bring new, sustainable businesses to the sunshine [...] The Tampa Bay Business Journal reports that nearly $20 million from the recent “green schools act” will be directed toward schools in Hillsborough County. “Hillsborough County schools are expected to receive a $19.1 million grant through the legislation. Manatee County schools are slated to receive about $4 million, and Pinellas County schools nearly $11.5 million.” “Schools can [...] The Tampa Bay Business Journal is reporting that - “The cities of Tampa, Clearwater and Plant City each received $400,000 in federal grants to clean up and redevelop brownfields sites.” Forbes ranks Tampa as fifth in the nation for parks & recreation. “The Tampa, Fla., parks department refers to the city’s 7.8 million trees as an urban forest. Just northeast of the city, residents can escape to the 16,000-acre Wilderness Park and explore 60 miles of trails through wetlands. The city, which ranked fifth this year, [...] Readers at the St. Pete Times are debating water and plastic bottles. Patti asks “How can we stop the bottled water industry?” Local fashion blogger Simple Elegance has the answer. Stainless steel water bottles. Looking for a gift for a vegan friend? Try Moo Shoes. “MooShoes, Inc. is a vegan-owned business that sells an assortment of cruelty-free footwear, bags, t-shirts, wallets, books and other accessories. MooShoes offers its services through an online store as well as in its retail store in New York City, the first cruelty-free store of its [...] |
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